1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to portable acoustical shell constructions for instrumental and choral ensembles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to use an acoustical shell to amplify and project the sound from a instrumental or choral ensemble outwardly towards a listening audience.
In addition to outward sound projection, an acoustical shell enables the individual performers to hear themselves and those around them so that they can make any necessary adjustments for intonation purposes without having to force their volume output in order to be heard. A good acoustical shell also provides a director with a more accurate impression of the balance between sections so that the director and performers can craft the combined sound more effectively.
For many indoor performance settings, such as, for example, concert halls, auditoriums or gymnasiums, the acoustics are less than ideal. In such indoor performance settings, an acoustical shell can help overcome the acoustical shortcomings of the performance area by keeping the sound from being lost to the sound-absorbing regions above the performance area, thereby allowing the performers to hear themselves better so that they can project a better blended sound to the audience.
Similarly, for outdoor performances, an acoustical shell can capture and redirect the upwardly directed sound back to the performers and to the listening audience.
Some desirable features of an acoustical shell include portability, light weight construction, low cost, simplicity of construction, ease of assembly and disassembly and compact stowage. In addition, it is further desirable that the acoustical shell be suitable for both indoor and outdoor use and be easily movable when fully assembled from one location to another, irrespective of any irregularities in the supporting ground surface whether the supporting ground surface is a concrete floor, a stage platform, soft earth or a grassy field.
Examples of various prior art portable acoustical shell structures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,180,446, 3,232,370, 3,630,309 and 3,908,787. Such known prior art acoustical structures, however, typically are found lacking in one or more of the above noted desirable features. In particular, the expense associated with the construction of each of the above noted acoustical shell structures is typically high due to the amount of specialized tooling and parts required for their fabrication and assembly.
Further, the acoustic shells of the prior art as noted above are typically complex structures which are very heavy and awkward to move around once they are fully assembled. In an effort to convert these typically complex and heavy structures into a "portable" acoustic shell, the prior art teaches to employ casters, wheels, and like transport structure, so that the heavy and awkward acoustical shell can be wheeled or rolled from one location to another. Such transport structure is unsuitable for outdoor use on soft or unstable ground surfaces and further adds undesirable weight and complexity to the design and also adds to the overall cost of the acoustical shell.
Accordingly there is a definite need in the art for an improved portable, low cost and light weight acoustical shell which overcomes the problems of the prior art.